Books Recommendation – July 2017

1. The Song of Achilles

Greece in the age of heroes.

Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son of Achilles.

Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of the war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper–despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.

But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Thoughts

I have to admit, lately I have been obsessed with M/M romance books. Yes, be forewarned that this book contain M/M romance and if you are not into this kind of stuff, feel free to jump straight to the next book.

This book has been in my to-read-list for awhile now (for almost a year and a half now), because I have been in a reading slump, I haven’t get the chance to start reading this book despite all the hype that it has garnered. Not to mention, A Song of Achilles is a stand alone, and just know, it is rare these days to find a good stand alone books because most of the really good novels these days are mainly made into book series. And seeing that summer vacation is right along the corner, I am starting to plan the list of books that I am going to binge read for this year’s summer.

2. Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen year-old Red girl from the poverty stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in a Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Read Guard, a militant resistance group, to bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Red against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Thoughts

There was a book called The Selection, and in that book was where a prince would choose his future wife to be, and this book give off that kind of vibe to me. And I did not finish The Selection, mainly because it was just way too dragged our and dramatic for no particular reason at all, at least for me. I have been wanting to pick up this book for some time now, not only because of the cover but only because of the hype that is The Red Queen.

For all of you who doesn’t know, I do not like to start a book series that is not yet finished, because then I got attached to the series and I will spend all my time wondering what is going to happen in the next book, which is going to take one year to publish. My heart, simply is not strong enough for that. And, when a year roll over and the next installation of the book finally arrives, I already forgot what the story was all about. So in summary, yes, I am going to be reading this book, but not anytime soon.

This book is a tetralogy, and the last book from this series is expected to be out for the public in 2018. So I will wait until then to start devouring this series.

3. The Wrath and The Dawn (The Wrath and The Dawn #1)

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When a sixteen year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to the end caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this place of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take the Khalid’s life as a retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Thoughts

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding this book. Reading the summary of this novel, it somehow reminds me of a kids’ stories books that my mom would read to me every single night before bed called, 1001 Nights. I have actually stumbled upon this book once and decided to give it a pass because the story seems very generic and just like all the other romance novels out there. However, when I talked to my friend about this book, she insisted that I give it a try because according to her, this book series are the bomb and she loved it to the core.

So for that, I am willing to give this book another chance and give it the benefit of the doubt. Never judge a book by it’s cover (and reviews) right?

Great reviews..i have been thinking of some new books to read for a while now and these seem perfect.I totally agree with you even I think my heart is not strong enough for book series where the sequels are yet to be released.The last book sounds so similar to Alif Laila an old Persian epic. Do check it out. From, http://www.thegypsygurl.wordpress.com